I came across this quote from the book, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers the other day.

Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already.

I believe there is so much truth to this. God cannot take me from A to C if I do not do B. Sometimes, when you are feeling like you don’t know what step to take next, you have to go back and see if you took the last step you were told to take.

Did God ask you to forgive someone?
Did you feel impressed the last time you were at church to give? To serve? To join a small group?
Maybe God told you to take a break from social media, or tv?
Maybe you have a certain friend that you know is not good for you?

This isn’t a post about discerning God’s voice. But sometimes He just impresses something on your heart and keeps bringing it back to your mind. And sometimes there are obvious commands in the scripture that we just simply do not obey.

God is a God who rewards obedience above all else. In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul disobeyed God and it cost him everything. God commanded him to attack the Amalekites and destroy everything including the animals. Saul did everything except he saved their king and a few animals. When Samuel, the prophet, asked Saul what he was doing, Saul proclaimed that he was making a sacrifice to the Lord. Look at what Samuel said back,

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

God takes complete obedience very seriously. And he rewards obedience very greatly. Stop searching for the mysteries of God and obey the last thing he told you to do. Then watch as He reveals more of Himself to you.

Comments

Thank you, what a great Word of Truth!

Posted By: Jill | March 6th, 2014 at 11:33 am

Thank you for this post. So good and so important! AMAZING sermon last night also. Exactly what I needed!

Posted By: Stacey | March 9th, 2014 at 10:52 am

Thank you for this word, i really needed it. God bless you and your family xxx

Posted By: Amy | March 10th, 2014 at 8:41 am

Thank you so much for posing this…..I just watched your sermon of yesterday a few moments ago and what a blessing it was….as usual I have some work to complete and I know This time I will praise God in the process….

Posted By: Shirley | March 11th, 2014 at 2:48 pm

Thank you for sharing! I watched your message online and I plan to listen to it again.

Posted By: Allison | March 13th, 2014 at 10:17 am

Hi Holly,
I just wanted to say “Thank You” for stepping out and obeying the lord in sharing a word with the people of Elevation. My husband and I pastor a church in concord, and sometimes it feels intimidating as the pastor’s wife to speak and encourage. Fear, comparison, and feelings of unworthiness can easily creep in. You are an inspiration to me to challenge myself to live out the calling God has placed on my life as a Pastor’s wife, and to quit holding back out of fear of rejection and not having an impact. Your sermon was so clear, powerful, and full of wisdom that so many people, along with myself, needed to hear. Please don’t stop what you are doing!

Posted By: Melissa | March 14th, 2014 at 2:26 am

Hi Holly!

It’s ten minutes to 2:30am and I was having an extremely rough night with my crying baby boy and I was also feeling extremely discouraged as a wife b/c of the judgement of others. The Lord led me to the Elevation Church website and I was able to watch your message on This Time. The Lord used you to help me in the midst of my most discouraging moment as a young wife and mom. Thank you Holly! God bless you and your family.

Thank you for reminding of the weapons I have!

-Jameela

Posted By: Jameela | March 17th, 2014 at 2:27 am

It was so great to talk to you and Pastor Steven tonight. I shared with each of you about the lives that are being transformed at Charlotte Rescue Mission (Rebound and Dove’s Nest) because of Elevation Church. What I didn’t share was that my husband and I are struggling with a decision about moving. It sounds so trivial, but I am trying to really let God lead us rather than step out in front of Him. I have been searching verses for decision making and decided to look up your blog and read this. It’s a reminder that as long as I am obedient and patient, God’s perfect Will will be done. Thank you for writing this blog. Even if we only help to save one life in our lifetimewe’ve succeeded. (Though we hope to save much more than that :-))Keep sewing seeds, Holly. God’s using you more than you know!

Posted By: Sheila Kidwell | March 19th, 2014 at 12:26 am

Thank you for this. I have been in such a frustrated state looking for the mysteries of God and neglecting the obedience He designed to get me to Himself. I know what was missing and tmrw is a new day! So we’ll put and it fed my soul tonight! You rock!